Quinnipiac men's ice hockey head coach Rand Pecknold has announced the Bobcats 2013-14 schedule, which features two in-season tournaments and 19 home dates. Quinnipiac is coming off the best season in program history that saw the Bobcats win their first-ever Cleary Cup for the ECAC Hockey Regular-Season Championship, before advancing to the NCAA National Championship Game. On the way, the Bobcats compiled the most wins in a season (30) while leading the nation in winning percentage (.756, 30-8-5), penalty kill percentage (91.1%, 164-180) and scoring defense (1.67). Season tickets are still available while individual game tickets will go on sale on Oct. 1.

"We had an incredible season in 2012-13," Pecknold said. "We hope to build off the success of advancing to the NCAA Frozen Four and the National Championship Game with a very challenging schedule. We've added UMass Lowell - another Frozen Four team - and Merrimack for two games each. We'll also have several Hockey East schools in Providence, Maine, UMass and potentially Connecticut at their Holiday Tournament. Our trip to Alaska will also be an early season challenge."

Pecknold was named the ECAC Hockey Tim Taylor Coach of the Year and the New England Hockey Writers' Association Clark Hodder Coach of the Year while also receiving recognition as a finalist for the prestigious Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year award. Eric Hartzell was named a Hobey Baker Award "Hobey Hat Trick" Finalist and was honored as the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, the ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goalie of the Year, USA Hockey College Player of the Year and the USCHO.com Player of the Year as well as earning AHCA/CCM Hockey All-American and ECAC Hockey First Team Honors. Zach Davies was named the ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman and was also named to the First Team while Jeremy Langlois earned Third Team honors.

Quinnipiac fans can get an early preview of the 2013-14 squad when it hosts St. Mary's on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center. After its exhibition match-up, Quinnipiac will head North to participate in the Kendall Hockey Classic hosted by the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Quinnipiac will face Alaska-Anchorage on Friday, Oct. 11 and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks on Saturday, Oct. 12.

The following weekend, Quinnipiac will face 2013 NCAA Frozen Four participant University of Massachusetts-Lowell for a home-and-home series, traveling to the Tsongas Center on Friday, Oct. 18 before hosting the Riverhawks for its regular-season home-opener on Saturday, Oct. 19. Following a mid-week tilt against Bentley at home on Tuesday, Oct. 22, Quinnipiac will face Holy Cross on the road on Friday, Oct. 25 before hosting the Crusaders on Saturday, Oct. 26.

November opens with Quinnipiac's first ECAC Hockey games of the season when it travels to Colgate on Friday, Nov. 1 and Cornell on Saturday, Nov. 2. Nov. 8 brings Brown to High Point Solutions Arena before Nov. 9 will feature a re-match of the 2013 National Championship Game when Yale visits. The game will also be the 12th Annual Heroes Hat Game. After hosting Harvard and Dartmouth on Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16, respectively, the Bobcats travel to Princeton on Friday, Nov. 22 before hosting the Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 23. Thanksgiving Week features a pair of match-ups at High Point Solutions Arena against Providence on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and Massachusetts on Saturday, Nov. 30.

The lightest month of the schedule falls in December when Quinnipiac travels to Rensselaer and Union on Dec. 6-7 before suiting up for the UConn Holiday Classic on Dec. 29-30. The Bobcats, winner of UConn's annual in-season tournament in 2008, will face Massachusetts on Dec. 29 while Connecticut will face Sacred Heart.

The Bobcats open the New Year at home against Maine on Friday, Jan. 4 before traveling to Harvard on Tuesday, Jan.7. Quinnipiac will then host Union on Friday, Jan. 10 and Rensselaer on Saturday, Jan. 11. The following weekend will feature a two-game, home-and-home set against Merrimack, with the Bobcats hosting the Warriors on Friday, Jan. 17 before traveling to North Andover, Mass. on Saturday, Jan. 18. The Bobcats wrap-up the month at Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. on Friday, Jan. 31.

February starts with a home series against Clarkson on Friday, Feb. 7 and St. Lawrence on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Bobcats will then travel down Whitney Ave. to play Yale at Ingalls Rink on Friday, Feb. 14 before facing Brown in Providence on Saturday, Feb. 15. Quinnipiac's final regular-season home weekend falls on Feb. 21-22 when Cornell and Colgate visit High Point Solutions Arena before the Bobcats close-out the year at St. Lawrence on Friday, Feb. 28 and Clarkson on Saturday, Mar. 1.

The ECAC Hockey Tournament First Round Series is set for Mar. 7-9, followed by the Quarterfinals on Mar. 14-16. Both best-of-three series will be played at the site of the highest seed. This season also marks a return to Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. for the ECAC Hockey Semifinals on Friday, Mar. 21 and the ECAC Hockey Championship Game on Saturday, Mar. 22.

Quinnipiac fans should visit the Official Website for Quinnipiac Athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com, for the latest schedule changes as well as news, scores and highlights. Individuals who wish to purchase tickets can do so by calling the TD Bank Sports Center Ticket Office at 203-582-3905.

Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey 2013-14 Schedule

Date

Opponent

Time

Sunday, Oct. 6

St. Mary's (Exhibition

4:00 PM

Friday, Oct. 11

at Alaska Anchorage

7:00 PM

Saturday, Oct 12

at Alaska Fairbanks

7:00 PM

Friday, Oct. 18

at UMass Lowell

7:00 PM

Saturday, Oc. 19

UMass Lowell

7:00 PM

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Bentley

7:00 PM

Friday, Oct. 25

at Holy Cross

7:00 PM

Saturday, Oct. 26

Holy Cross (Parent's Weekend)

4:00 PM

Friday, Nov. 1

at Colgate*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Nov. 2

at Cornell*

7:00 PM

Friday, Nov. 8

Brown*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Nov. 9

Yale* (12th Annual Heroes Hat)

7:00 PM

Friday, Nov. 15

Harvard*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Nov. 16

Dartmouth*

7:00 PM

Friday, Nov. 22

at Princeton*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Nov. 23

Princeton*

7:00 PM

Wednesday, Nov. 27

Providence

7:00 PM

Saturday, Nov. 30

Massachusetts

7:00 PM

Friday, Dec. 6

at Rensselaer*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Dec. 7

at Union*

7:00 PM

Sunday, Dec. 29

vs. UMass at University of Connecticut Holiday Tournament

7:00 PM

Monday, Dec. 30

vs. TBA at University of Connecticut Holiday Tournament

7:00 PM

Friday, Jan. 3

Maine

7:00 PM

Tuesday, Jan. 7

at Harvard*

7:00 PM

Friday, Jan. 10

Union*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Jan. 11

Rensselaer*

7:00 PM

Friday, Jan. 17

Merrimack

7:00 PM

Saturday, Jan. 18

at Merrimack

7:00 PM

Friday, Jan. 31

at Dartmouth*

7:00 PM

Friday, Feb. 7

Clarkson*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Feb. 8

St. Lawrence*

7:00 PM

Friday, Feb. 14

at Yale*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Feb. 15

at Brown*

4:00 PM

Friday, Feb. 21

Cornell*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Feb. 22

Colgate*

7:00 PM

Friday, Feb. 28

at St. Lawrence*

7:00 PM

Saturday, Mar. 1

at Clarkson*

7:00 PM

Friday, Mar. 7

ECAC Hockey First Round at Highest Seed

7:00 PM

Saturday, Mar. 8

ECAC Hockey First Round at Highest Seed

4:00 PM

Sunday, Mar. 9

ECAC Hockey First Round at Highest Seed

2:00 PM

Friday, Mar. 14

ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals at Highest Seed

7:00 PM

Saturday, Mar. 15

ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals at Highest Seed

4:00 PM

Sunday, Mar. 16

ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals at Highest Seed

2:00 PM

Friday, Mar. 21

ECAC Hockey Semifinals at Lake Placid

7:00 PM

Saturday, Mar. 22

ECAC Hockey Championship Game at Lake Placid

7:00 PM

All home games in bold are played at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center